Fruit-clipper



(No Model.)

. T. K. GODBBY.

FRUIT CLIPPER.

No. 519,999. Patented May 15,1894.

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plates.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS KELLY GODBEY, OF WALDO, FLORIDA.

FRUIT-CLIPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,999, dated May 15, 1894.

l Application filed January 31,1894- Serial No. 498,647- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, THOMAS KELLY Gon- BEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Waldo, in the county of Alachua and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Fruit-Clipper, of which the following is a specification.

lVly invention relates to improvements in fruit clippers, and has for its object to prov de a simple, inexpensive, and eflicient devlce, in which the parts are connected to insure strength and durability and cause the aws or cutters to be self-cleaning.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description, and the novel features thereof will be.

particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure l is a perspective v1 ew of a clipper embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side View partly broken away, showing the jaws or cutters closed together as in the act of cutting. Fig. 3 is a transverse central section of the same with the jaws or cutters closed.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

The improved clipper comprises pivotally connected jaws or cutters, of which the cutting jaw or knife 1 is adapted to pass at its cutting edge between the corresponding edges of the parallel plates 2 which act as guard- These guard-plates comprising the upper jaw are spaced apart a distance equal to the thickness of the knife, and are held at such a distance at their rear or inner ends by the knife which is pivoted therebetween, as shown at 3, and at their front or outer ends by the interposed space -block 4, which also serves the function of a stopfor the knife in closing, the contiguous end of the knife being dulled or blunted at the extremity which comes in contact with said block, as shown at 5. The jaws are each semi-elliptical in shape, having straight ooacting edges and curved outer edges, and the guard jaw, or the jaw composed of parallel guard-plates, is cut away, as shown at 6, to form parallelsided bars 7 which are spaced apart throughout to allow dirt and fragments of fiber which are carried therebetween by the edge of the knife to escape and thus avoid clogging and obstructing the operation of the device. When the clipper is closed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, the cutting edge of the knife is flush with theupper edges of the guard-bars 7,

whereby any foreign material which is car-' ried between the bars is at the same time pushed above their upper edges and thus removed.

The knife is provided near its outer or curved edge with a slot 8 in which is secured the looped finger-strap 9, said strap being designed to be fitted upon the thumb of the operator, as shown in Fig. 1, and between the upper edges of the guard-plates composing the other jaw are arranged the lower ends of the looped finger-straps 10, which are designed to receive the index finger of the operator. The lower ends of the straps 10 are preferably thickened, as shown at 11, either by stitching, as indicated, or otherwise; such thickened portions being arranged in the opening 6, whereby the straps are held from detachment; and as an additional means of securing these straps in place the guardplates are connected, near their upper curved edges, by the screw or rivet 12, which engages registering perforations in the plates.

The flexible guard 13, which passes around the outer edges of the jaws to form a rest for the hand of the operator, is preferably formed of leather, and is provided at intervals with longitudinal slots 1'4 through which extend the outer portions of the finger-straps 9 and 10. The spreading of the loops beyond the outer surface of this flexible guard holds the latter in place upon the clipper, without other means of attachment, and when the said guard becomes worn it may be replaced without the use of tools and by simply slotting another strap and passing the looped finger-straps through the slots, as above described.

The manner of operating the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description in view of the existing state of the art, and it will be apparent that the parts are strongly and durably connected to provide an efficient and readily operated device, and that various changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. It should be understood, furthermore, that the finger-straps are preferably made of elastic material in order to preserve a firm and yet yielding hold upon the fingers of the operator, and owing to the peculiar manner of attaching the finger-straps to the jaws or cutters they may be made of elastic material without causing any insecurity of the fastening even after continued use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In afrnit clipper, the combination of pivotally-connected jaws or cutters, one of which is composed of twin parallel spaced guardplates, and the other of which constitutes a knife, the cutting edge of which is adapted to operate between the corresponding edges of the guard-plates, said guard-plates being cut away to form guard-bars 7 with the upper edges of which the cutting edge of the knife is flush when the clipper is closed, substantially as specified.

2. In a fruit clipper, the combination of pivotally-connected coacting jaws or cutters, one of which is composed of twin parallel spaced guard-plates, and the other of which constitutes a knife, the cutting edge of which is adapted to operate between the corresponding edges of the guard plates, said guardplates being provided with an opening 6, a finger-strap engaging a slot in the knife, and twin finger-straps arranged at their inner ends between the outer edges of the guard plates and provided at their extremities with thickened edges which are arranged in said opening, substantially as specified.

3. In a fruit clipper, the combination with pivoted coacting jaws or cutters, and fingerstraps secured to the outer edges thereof, of a flexible guard slotted to receive and be held in-place by said fingerstraps, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my ownI have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS KELLY GODBEY.

Witnesses:

L. A. RENNoLDs, A. O. BEOKHAM. 

